Case Study: Ron Johnson- Department of Accounting

Part A: Introduction of the Company

This case study states about Ron Johnson is a tenured professor of leadership in a
college of Midwest. The Department of Accounting (DA) is one of the ten departments in the
School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). There are nine faculty members in the department of
accounting, and the chair of the department is Jean Williams, who is in her first year as chair.
However, Jean spent less time in this department than six faculty members, including Ron.
Jean likes to make appropriate policies. After discussing with the vice president in charge of
academic affairs, the dean told Jean there was no policy. Therefore, Jean sets policy for
graduate assistants as an agenda item for department meetings.

During the DA meeting, Jean asked the members about what the graduate assistants
should do and what they should not do. She is hoping that the department can come to a
consensus on a policy. As it turned out, Ron was the only faculty member who used graduate
assistants to grade exams. Ron meanwhile objected to being a graduate colleague and he
rejected the idea. Ron said he did not think it was fair to tell him that he could not use graduate
assistants to grade when others were doing objective exams. He also said the ministry did not
need to develop policies and asked it not to do so. However, Jean said she wanted a policy.
Ron was a senior employee with a considerable measure of appreciation yet he got one and
only member of the department to support him during the meeting, who is Eddie Accorsi.

Be that as it may, Jean needed a strategy for the division and she says that she will be
discussed it at a future DA meeting. The next day, Ron sent a memo to the department’s
members saying that if the department had established a policy that he could no longer use
graduate assistants to correct objective exams, and then he would have appealed to the dean,
the vice President, and the President.
Part B: Content

1. (a) What type of power does Jean have, and

(b) what type of power is she using?

(c) Which influencing tactic is Jean using during the meeting?

(d) Is negotiation and/or the

(e) exchange tactic appropriate in this situation?

2. (a) What type of power does Ron have, and

(b) what type of power is he using during the meeting?

(c) Which two influencing tactic is Ron primarily using during the meeting?

(d) Which influencing tactic is Ron using with the memo?

(e) Is the memo a wise political move for Ron? What might he gain and lose by
sending it?

3. What would you do if you were Jean?

(a) Would you talk to the dean, letting him know that Ron said he would appeal
the policy decision?

(b) Which influencing tactic would this discussion involve?

(c) Which political behavior would the discussion represent?

(d) Would you draft a policy directly stating that graduate assistants cannot be
used to grade objective exams?

(e) Would you answer to (d) be influenced by your answer to (a)?

4. (a) If you were Ron, knowing you had no verbal supporters during the meeting,
would you have continued to defend you position or agreed to stop using a
graduate assistant?
 (b) What do you think of Ron sending the memo?

(c) As a tenured full professor, Ron is secure in his job. Would you answer change
if you (as Ron) had not received tenure or promotion to the top rank?

5. (a) If you were Ron, and Jean drafted a policy and department members agreed
with it, what would you do?

(b) Again, would your answer change if you had not received tenure or promotion
to the top rank?